The Legend of the Dark Riders
by Deathangel20
Summary: A banished swordmaster returns from oblivion to lead the shadows again. As his former lord seeks revenge against him, a small band of heroes from the Knights, the Order, and the Assembly lead the Knights to stop him rampage of darkness. Even as the battle
1. Chapter 1

**The Legend of the Dark Riders**

**Dedication**

This story is dedicated to the character who inspired the Ellimist. He got me started in story writing and many thanks to him

**Warning**

Rated T for violence and some mild language.

For those of you that aren't familiar with Maple Story, some parts may be confusing.

**Foreword**

This is my first story. This story was first posted on the Maple Story forum, Florina Beach. My brother first showed me to FB. Florina Beach has a section for story writing. I got bored and somehow landed there. Thus I started writing.

Shortly after I wrote this story, I started another one, Swordmaster of the Maple. It was hard to juggle two stories, but it was easier too. I could throw out more ideas and could actually make a timeline of events.

When I first started, I didn't know spacing. Even then I ended a paragraph, I would hit 'Enter' once. However, I found out that a gap is needed to recognize the paragraph. Also, the first few chapters are also pretty short, because I had no idea how long I wanted them to be. The chapters will get longer after Part 1. Another thing was connecting it to Maple Story. I didn't want the story to be too heavily based on the game, so I didn't use Maple Story as much as the story progressed. The only things that I probably use are the setting, monsters and the items.

An angel is basically a righteous person with gigantic feathery wings. Death is what takes your soul away after you pass away. Combine the two and you get a fallen angel or a Deathangel. I liked this idea, so I used it. The Deathangel is a death knight. (Note: This job isn't availible in Maple Story) Death knights are masters of death, so I thought this would be a good idea for the evil side.

If you feel this story is good and you wish to post it somewhere else, please ask for permission.

This is my first story. I plan to write at least eight more, but we'll see how it goes.

_-The Deathangel_

**Preface**

The day shall come. When the light flees and the shadows devour. When the brave run and the densest hide and the most prideful humbled. When the most vigilant are weakened by fear. When the day is consumed and the night shall rule. When bravery succumbs to fear. When good will bow to evil and life gives way to death. The day will come...the day will pass...the day when the dark legions march across the plain...the day when dragons of death soar with the wind...the day when fear cripples all hearts...they day when knights of Death gallop into towns...the day where the sea will run red with blood...the day when the Deathangel takes to the skies...and the world to bow at his feet.

_-Inscription at the Golem Temple_

**Part 1: Coming Darkness**

_Darkness is like fire. It starts out small and then grows. Something is needed to fan the it, or else, it will disappear_

**Prologue**

It was evening in the forest of Ellinia. A group of eight paladins sat around a campfire. Each one donned silver armor with the crest of an air wisp. They were all part of the Knights of Wind. Four of them sat in one group playing cards. Another two were up sparring each other with swords. One was sleeping and the leader of the eight was preparing their evening meal. The leader suddenly looked up and drew his sword.  
"Everyone, draw your weapons. Evil is amiss."  
One by one, each warrior got up and drew his weapon. Two of them drew bows while another two clutched axes in their hands. Two more held spears and the last one held a sword. It could be heard now. The steady clomping of boots, heading towards their direction, could be heard. Then, a figure donned in black robes, appeared in front of them.  
"Spawn of evil. What do you want with us?" the leader demanded.  
"Your souls," the hooded figure replied.  
"You shall never have our souls as long as we live!" the leader exclaimed.  
The two archers drew back their bowstrings and fired at the figure. The arrows hit the figure, but he did not even appear to be dazed.  
"Weapons created by mortals have no effect on me," the figure replied.  
"Impossible…. a…. a death knight?"  
The figure drew his sword. It resembled that of a sword that only the highest Knights of the Maple wielded, the Maple Soul Singer. It was, however, painted black and had a skull instead of a maple leaf. He pointed it at them. The eight paladins stood, then charged towards him. The figure appeared to smile, as if he was amused. Then he spoke a single word.

There were eight screams, and then silence.

**Chapter One: Knights of Victoria**

Long ago, when the island of Victoria was new, the Knights of Victoria were founded. These knights had helped defeat the evil that lurked in the newly created Victoria Island. Many of the monsters were banished to the Sleepywood Dungeon. However, not all the knights could agree with each other. They founded four orders of knights, one for each element of science: Knights of the Sun, Knights of the Wind, Knights of the Maple and the Knights of the Crystal. Each order combined mages with swords

The Knights of the Sun were based on the fire element. Many soldiers were Fighters, Crossbowman and Spearman. Most the knighted mages used fire as their primary magic. The Knights of the Suns belief was simple. Destroy evil completely and vanquish it from the world. Let there be nothing but good. Their strategy in war was to attack full force in numbers.

The Knights of the Crystal were based on the element of water. Most of their spells used water or ice. The Knights of the Crystal were passive fighters compared to the Knights of the Sun. The knights would mainly consist of Pages, Hunters, Crossbowman and Bandits. They would prefer to use guerilla tactics. They would never unite their forces together. Instead they would use strike tactics, picking off the enemy. After they won, they would seal away the enemy. Let evil feel itself.

The next order was knights was the Knights of the Wind and used lightning spells. These knights were like the Knights of the Crystal. They used speed to accomplish their goals. Many of these knights were Hunters, Bandits and Assassins. They too would use guerilla tactics. However, they were swifter than the Knights of the Crystal. Most Knights wore light armor such as tunics or robes, but the high ranked Knights would wield heavy armor. Most of the armies of these, however, were smaller than the Knights of the Crystal.

The final order of knights was the Knights of the Maple. These were based on earth and many of the mages used poison spells. These people were more like Knights of the Sun. Warriors of all types were found in these ranks. Bandits fought side by side with Hunters. Wizards fought back to back with Spearman. They were more conservative than the Knights of the Sun and each knight was bound to the next in a sworn oath. When a knight completed their training, they were given a Maple Weapon. Then, those that made it further, were given more powerful Maple Weapons such as the Soul Searcher or the Soul Singer. These knights fought with honor and never retreated unless they really had too.

These knights were located in present day Ellinia and Perion. Back in these times, both of these lands were united under the Knights. Before the coming of darkness, Victoria was larger. Many small towns dotted the maps. Perion, now a wasteland plateau, used to be beautiful mountains with trees. Ellinia, now only populated with mages, used to hold one of the largest knight garrisons. Henesys, at this time, was a plain filled with nomads and hunters. Kerning was a mercenary city. Many people came here for Kernings famous beer or for sellswords. Sleepywood was another knight town. It guarded the entrance of the Dugueon which was the only location of darkness. Many knights would come to Sleepywood to hone their skills. Yes, Victoria at this time was a good place to live...until the Deathangel came.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: The Knights' Gathering**

Four knights sat at a table. Each one bore a different crest on a different colored armor. There was one knight from each order. One of them wore light blue armor. He had a crest of a crystal on it. The next wore white silver armor with a gust of wind on it. The third wore red armor with an emblem of a sun. The final one, the most experienced knight, wore dark red armor with a maple leaf on it. They had been called to deal with a problem that had surfaced. Actually, two problems.

"I welcome you all here to the Knights' Gathering. It has been a long time since the Knights' Meeting has been called together. Recently, two things have occured. The first was the mysterious disappearance of the Eight Paladins of the Knights of the Wind. These paladins have been revered by all the orders. This cannot be taken lightly. The second occurrence is the sudden emergence of evil in Ellinia. Apparently, zombie versions of lupins are beginning to fill the forests. In addition, witches have appeared as well. They are causing many problems. My question is what do we do?" the Knight of the Maple asked.  
There was a long silence and finally, someone spoke.  
"My suggestion is that we summon a band of knights to destroy the evil in the forest. Send the Knights of the Sun. We will crush them all. We will send the evil away," the Knight of the Sun answered.   
"Destroying the evil forest has no effect. We have no discovered the cause for this. If we don't find the cause of this, then the evil will reappear and more lives will be taken. A waste," the Knight of the Crystal replied.  
"I agree with him. Destroying the forest will have no effect. We should find the cause of it first," The Knight of the Wind said.

The Knight of the Maple, who had been silent, now spoke, "I believe we should post guards around the forest. Allow none to enter. We will find the cause of this. Then, once we do, we will use force to destroy it. Now, the second topic, the disappearance of the paladins. Allow me to describe it to you. About two weeks ago, the Eight Paladins of the Wind rode into Ellinia, en route to Henesys. They were in the southern part of it when they disappeared. We found the spot where they were gone. The ashes of their fire still remained. Cards were lying on the floor and we found their horses too, still tied up. What is strange though, is that I see no footprints. I see eight sets of them, walking in one direction and then suddenly they stopped. No trace of them could be found. Their weapons were also missing. Nothing else was taken. What do you think?" the Knight of the Maple asked.  
The other three knights looked at each other. They had no idea what to do. This did not happen everyday. There was an eerie silence.  
"No one has any ideas. I will propose mine. Here is my plan. I will ride to the Golem's Temple to find out what has happened. One of the inscriptions there may help us. You three will begin to rally knights to ride to Ellinia. Double the men at garrison there. Once you are there, find the person who is responsible for all of this. One more thing," the Knight of the Maple said. His face was now serious, "We have had reports of the Knight of the Dark Maple being seen." At this, the other three knights grew grave. They shrunk back into their chairs.  
"You can't be serious. He was banished from this island for orders of high treason," the Knight of the Sun said.  
"Indeed. I have reports of him being seen. However, none of these have been confirmed. I will find out everything at the Golem's Temple. We will follow my plan. Agreed?" the Knight of the Maple asked.  
One by one, the other three knights agreed.  
"Very well. I will take my leave now," the Knight of the Maple said.   
The other three nights stood there, stunned by the news. Three bad things. This was turning out to be a bad day indeed.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Ellimist 

The Liege Knight of the Maple exited the Tower of the Sun, his face grim. He summoned for his stable hand and told him to get ready his horse. He was heading to the plains of Henesys, to the Golem Temple. The Golem Temple contained many prophecies. Most of them turned true.

There were four Towers of the Knights: the Tower of the Sun in Perion, the Tower of Nature in Ellinia, the Tower of Twilight in Sleepywood and the Tower of Beginnings in Lith Harbor. During the Great Betrayal many years ago, these towers held strong against the forces of evil. Each Tower had a magical barrier around it. The Tower of the Sun was surrounded by a heat wave. All those that weren't allowed suffered from heat exhaustion. The Tower of Nature had a magical forest around it. The trees and plants were alive. They formed a living wall around the tower. The Tower of Twilight in Sleepywood had an aura of fear around it. All those not allowed would see their worst nightmares before them. The Tower of Beginnings in Lith had an energized wall around it. Elemental lightning would shock any that dared to trespass. These Towers were the strongholds of the knights. Not a single had fallen to the Knight of the Dark Maple.

The plains of Henesys were home to many nomad tribes. These nomads were skilled with the bow and blade. They were also powerful in magic. They would not join the Knights' Empire, but would allow the Knights to come into their lands. Therefore, the Knights did not have any Tower there. The plains were also home to the Golem Temple. Erected many years ago by the nomads, this Temple was the home of peace and prophecies. The builders of the Temple created Golems to guard the Temple from evil. The Golems served well.

The stable hand brought the Liege Knight's horse around. The Liege Knight waved his hand in a signal to leave. The stable hand bowed and left. The Liege Knight mounted and was about to leave when he heard someone behind. He didn't have to guess to know who it was. He knew those soft footsteps any day.

"Ellimist. What do you want now?" the Liege Knight asked.  
"My liege, you know better to never leave without me. No Liege travels without a bodyguard," the Ellimist replied.

Not much is known of the Ellimist's past. He was a boy when the Liege Knight of the Maple found him. He had suffered a major injury. The Liege Knight, taking pity on the boy took him in and raised him like a son. As a result, the Ellimist was a skilled Hunter. The Ellimist had long, dark untidy hair. He donned a Blue Kismet Robe and had a Red Viper strapped on his back. Extremely quick both in body and mind, he was a cunning warrior. His arrows always hit their mark and therefore, had risen in the ranks quickly.

"I'm guessing you want to tag along?" the Liege Knight asked.  
"You guessed right. I want to make sure you don't die, if the rumors are true," the Ellimist said.  
"And what are these rumors?" the Liege Knight asked.  
"Don't play dumb. You heard the rumors of the Knight of the Dark Maple. He is said to be seen around Ellinia and Henesys. I'm coming, end of story," the Ellimist said.  
"Very well. Just don't be a liability," the Liege Knight replied.   
"Agreed, now, let's ride!" the Ellimist said and the two took off for the Golem Temple.

However, in the shadows of the tower, a pair of dark eyes watched the two. When they left, the dark figure darted off to tell his master what had happened.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: Blackarrows**

The dark figure leapt onto his dark horse. He called his horse Nightmount. The horse was as black as night, as was his mane. His eyes were dark as well. The horse was designed for swift traveling, so it carried no pouches. The figure took the reigns and told the horse to ride.

The figure arrived at his master's castle. To the naked eye, the castle was old and worn down. This was the appearance of it right after the Great Betrayal many years ago, when the Knight of the Dark Maple betrayed the Knights for his own glory. The resulting chaos ended with the death of many knights and civilians alike and as well as destruction of much of the island. The Knight of the Dark Maple, in the end, was defeated by a lone female cleric, who rumor had it, was once his former lover. The staff that she used to defeat him was now on her grave. Her grave, however, was in another dimension, the Chaos Realm. Here she laid in peace and here the Knight of the Dark Maple endured his torment.

When the dark figure approached the castle gate, he stopped. The figure muttered a couple of words. He rode through the gate. If one had not said the words he had said, the traveler would enter, not the castle, but a gateway to the Chaos Realm. The traveler would enter the crumbling castle. The way the traveler left was back through the gate back into the real Victoria Island. However, the figure had broken the spell. He rode into what was the real castle. The new, repaired castle had silver stones. Turrets surrounded the castle. The castle was extremely huge. (To keep the reader interested, you can make up the castle XD) The castle, despite it's size, was completely empty, except for the master and his servants.

After walking through the castle, the figure finally arrived at his master's room. He bowed as he entered and said, "Master, I have returned."  
"Were you successful, Blackarrows?" the dark robed figure on the other side of the room asked.  
"Partly," Blackarrows replied.  
"Partly? Speak bluntly. I do not wish to solve your riddles," the dark robed figure said.  
"Very well. I have overheard the Liege Knight of the Maple's intentions," Blackarrows said. He explained everything he had heard with the Liege Knight and the Ellimist.  
"Heh. Their visit to the Golem Temple falls right into my plans. I will dispatch the Riders to deal with these two. In the meantime, I have other matters to attend too. Were you able to infiltrate the Tower?"   
"No, forgive me master. I have not," Blackarrows replied.  
"WHAT? Those were your orders. You know the penalty for disobedience!" the figure yelled. The figure began to draw his sword.  
"But, master, I broke the barrier! I broke the barrier! Please, don't kill me," Blackarrows begged.  
"Hmm? You managed to pass the blasted barrier. Very well, you aren't a complete loss. Very well Blackarrows, I give you another chance. Ride to Ellinia and I'm sure you know what to do next," the figure said, "Now, leave!"  
Blackarrows bowed and left. He mounted his horse and took off east for Ellinia.

Meanwhile, up at the castle, the master summoned his servants. The figure pointed south. His servants left him. They mounted their black dragons and took to the skies. There would be death this day.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five: Prophecy of the Golems**

The Ellimist and the Liege Knight of the Maple rode quickly to the Golem's Temple in Henesys. Located in a valley between Henesys and Sleepywood and defended by gigantic Golems, this too, had not fallen during the Great Betrayal. This temple was the home of many prophecies that would some day, come true.

Once the two arrived, they were met by Golems. The Liege Knight spoke his request. Two minutes later, the Golems beckoned them to follow them. The Golems led them to a big room with many writings and pictures on the walls. The Golems turned and waited for them at the door. The Liege Knight began looking at the first set of inscriptions. Indeed, the first picture showed eight Knights. There was a picture of a wind above them, signifying that they were indeed Knights of the Wind. On the left side, there was a black figure, approaching them. The next picture showed the Knights running towards the figure. The figure was drawing his sword to meet them. The final was the worst. The figure had pointed his sword at the Knights and the Knights were depicted as dead.

"The Eight Paladins of the Wind!" the Liege Knight muttered.  
The next picture showed the building up of evil in Ellinia. Zombie monkeys and dark witches were showed to be multiplying in number and in power. At the end of it was another dark figure. However, this figure was carrying a bow and he was mounted on a black dragon.

The next set of pictures showed the Golem's Temple being under attack by eight hooded figures. The Golems were losing the battle. They were falling. The figures were paired up. Each pair wielded four different types of weapons: sword, spear, ax and bow. The Golems appeared to be defending a single room. The Liege Knight looked at the next and last picture. It was a map of Victoria Island. It appeared to show that the Four Towers of the Knights under attack by evil. Each Tower was under attack by nine hooded figures. Below the picture had the following words:  
_The day shall come. When the light flees and the shadows devour. When the brave run and the densest hide and the most prideful humbled. When the most vigilant are weakened by fear. When the day is consumed and the night shall rule. When bravery succumbs to fear. When good will bow to evil and life gives way to death. The day will come...the day will pass...the day when the dark legions march across the plain...the day when dragons of death soar with the wind...the day when fear cripples all hearts...they day when knights of Death gallop into towns...the day where the sea will run red with blood...the day when the Deathangel takes to the skies...and the world to bow at his feet._

"The Deathangel? Who is the Deathangel?" the Liege Knight said to himself.  
Suddenly, there was a quake and then the sounding of swords. The Ellimist ran in, " My liege. We are under attack. Eight hooded figures mounted on black dragons. The Golems can't hold out much longer. They told us to flee! Come on! Let's go!"  
The Liege Knight stood there perplexed, "Can't be. Then the prophecy is coming true. Very well. Let's ride!"  
The Ellimist and the Liege Knight ran out of the temple and got on their horses. They rode as swiftly as they could back to Perion.

One of the figures saw something out of his eye. He turned on his dragon to see what it was. He saw two humans, riding away. Those were the targets. With a scream of death, the figure turned his dragon and flew to meet them. The other seven soon followed as they left behind a ruined temple.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six: The Keeper of the Tower of Nature **

While the Liege Knight and the Ellimist were at the Golem Temple, the other three Knights that had attended the Gathering rode out to the Tower of Nature to gather soldiers to help repel the evil. The Duke of the Sun, the Lord of the Zephyr and the Knight Master of the Crystal were these knights and they were the highest rank of their orders. These men had proved themselves to be strong in battle, in spirit and in mind.

Upon entering the Tower of Nature, each man was greeted with nods and bows. They, however, immediately went to the room of the Keeper of the Tower. Each Tower had a Keeper. These Keepers were all mages, mages that were strong enough to keep the barrier around each one standing. The Keeper of this Tower was a Knight of the Wind and a lightning mage. The Keeper of this Tower was a middle-aged man. His short black hair was dotted with white lines. He wore white robes. He carried no visible wand or staff with him and wore a pointed hat. When the three Knight Lords entered his chamber, he greeted them with a bow and said, "Welcome, my lords. Is something the matter? Of course, something must be wrong. Three Knight Lords coming into my chamber at the same time means something. What is the problem?"   
"Are you aware of the evil that is lurking in the forest?"  
"Yes milords. I have sensed the evil in the forest. As a result of this evil, my powers have been slightly waning. Do you need soldiers to help you?"  
"Actually, we could do that by ourselves. We have come here to ask for your assistance. Your experience with magic may help us locate the source of this evil," the Duke said.  
"The leader. Yes. I have not been able to locate them. But, I can tell you this. If we engage the enemy, be assured that the person leading these fiends is not the cause of this," the Keeper said.  
"Ah, how would you know?" asked the Lord of the Zephyr.  
"My lord, I know this because I already have seen the leader of the army and he has no magic on him, except for the magic that lies in his bow," the Keeper replied.  
"You've seen the commander of these forces already and you didn't tell us?!" the Knight Master demanded.  
"Patience. I just saw the commander yesterday in my scrying crystal. It is a hunter. However, the crystal was covered with an immense shadow, as if something didn't want me to see them. Yes, it is not the hunter," the Keeper explained.

"I know it is just a rumor, but can it be the Knight of the Dark Maple?" the Lord said.  
"It could be. However, his spottings have not been confirmed. Have you seen him?" asked the Keeper.  
"No, we haven't. But it might be him. Has anyone gone into the Chaos Realm to check his eternal prison?" asked the Duke.  
"Entering the Chaos Realm requires an extreme amount of mana. We cannot waste so much mana on such a trivial rumor. No. If he has escaped, then let him come out of hiding," the Keeper said.  
"Very well, you have told us all we need to know," the Knight Master said.  
"A word of advice, do not engage the enemy directly. Their numbers are large. Their commander is extremely skilled. He is also enchanted with a dark power, which makes him more dangerous. If you can, kill him. If you don't, he may be a nuisance. But, don't focus all your attacks on him. The zombies are the ground forces and the witches are air forces. I recommend taking a couple of pegasus and gryphon riders with you."  
"Yes. We will use every soldier we have. We thank you for your wisdom Keeper. Farewell," the Knight Lords said.  
"Yes. Best of luck with you," the Keeper said and he went back to his duties.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: The Kerning Duel**

Blackarrows looked around at his pathetic army. At least, he thought it was pathetic. As a mercenary from Kerning, he would prefer leading humans over these fiends. Instead, he found himself leading a bunch of zombified monkeys and a bunch of cackling witches. However, although he thought it was pathetic, other people would gladly take his spot.

The dark army had already swept through most of the outskirts of Ellinia. The soldiers there put up little resistance and on more than one occasion had the soldiers dropped their weapons and ran. Blackarrows had always wondered what made these Knights so powerful. They were so weak and pathetic. Perhaps the only people that were worthy of the title knight were the Knight Lords themselves.

Blackarrows remembered the day he had met his master. It was a rainy day in Kerning. He, as a mercenary, did not have a house. Rather, he lived on the streets looking for a job here and there. He managed to live, but his appetite of battle was never satisfied. He wanted to kill something, and he desperately wanted to. He remembered he had run into a black, hooded figure. He had muttered, "Get out of the way." The figure had turned and looked at him, "A heart that so thirsts for battle. Very well. I will fight you."  
"This is better than I thought," said Blackarrows and drew his bow.   
Almost immediately he called mana within him to grant his bow the ability to shoot soul arrows. He then called upon the wind to make his shots faster and deadlier. Within four seconds, he had shot the first two arrows.

With blinding speed, the figure drew his sword and slashed the two light arrows apart. The figure lunged at Blackarrows with the same speed. Blackarrows dodged to the left and released two more light arrows, followed by a third, more powerful arrow. The first two missed their mark and the third one deflected off the figure's robes. The figure then jumped up and launched a black, greenish orb at the hunter. Blackarrows was caught off guard by this magic attack and took the full blow. He was thrown back by the power of this magic attack. His body was aching and his power was drained. The figure advanced with his sword pointed at Blackarrows. He spoke, "A strong, determined heart. Why do you waste it here? Follow me and I will grant you power that you will never be able to achieve on your own."

Blackarrows nodded and had accepted this offer. The figure had taken him to the castle. He told Blackarrows his name. Blackarrows' mouth dropped when he heard and said, "It can't be! The greatest warrior of all time, here?"

Blackarrows smiled at the memory. He now knew the extent of this warrior. The sun was now setting. He called for his horse. He mounted and the word was passed around camp. Within five minutes, the undead army had assembled. Blackarrows gave the order to march onto Ellinia.

They encountered little resistance. Within an hour, the army had reached the gates of the forest town of Ellinia. Within the town contained the Tower of Nature, the Knight stronghold.

Blackarrows smiled. If he could capture his, his power would increase.   
Blackarrows had his army waited for half an hour more. Let the enemy sweat in fear at this army. When the half hour had passed he rode to the front of his army.  
He raised the standard of the army. With a roar and a screech, the army of Blackarrows launched the attack.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Defenders of Ellinia**

Earlier that day, the three Knight Lords left the Tower of Nature. Immediately, they summoned a runner and gave him instructions to gather all the soldiers available to begin to fortify Ellinia from an undead assault. Then, the Duke of the Sun called for another runner to head to Perion request for reinforcements. The runner rolled the message into his pocket and took off for Perion.

"So, the army is completely undead, no?" asked the Knight Master of the Crystal.  
"Yes, it is," replied the Lord of the Zephyr.  
"Very well. Most probably, reinforcements from Perion will arrive. When that happens, we will have the enemy in a pincer. They can't retreat and we'll drive them like a hammer and an anvil. So here is my plan. Put my Spearman in the front and Clerics right behind them. Place Wind Knights behind the walls to shoot the zombies. Finally, mount Maple Knights onto pegasi and gryphons to take care of the witches. We need aerial superiority to win this. Is this an acceptable plan?" asked the Duke of the Sun  
"I appreciate your plan, but what will my knights do?" asked the Knight Master of the Crystal.  
"Your knights will stay in the forest. Once we have crushed the first wave of attackers, your knights will attack the left and right flanks. Since you travel lightly, I assume your Knights will attack and then rush back into the trees," replied the Duke of the Sun  
"Very well. Now let us put this plan into action. Meet at the bottom floor of Ellinia at sundown," said the Lord of the Zephyr.

The three Knight Lords left to carry out this plan. Indeed, by sundown, Crystal Knights were hidden in the forest. Sun Knights were at the walls with Clerics behind them. Wind Knights were posted on the walls and Maple Knights were readying their pegasi and gryphons for battle. They were five thousand strong. No one could defeat this. Morale was high. Suddenly, five knights ran to the gate from the outside. They looked horrified. They pounded on the gate and demanded entry. The gate opened for them. Immediately, they cried out, "Thousands of them. Thousands of them. Maybe millions. The waves of darkness. An ocean of them. They are led by Death himself!" Then they collapsed.

"Millions? Death himself? Impossible!" said the Duke of the Sun. Then he heard an alarm go off from outside the gate. He rushed onto the walls to see what was happening.  
His mouth dropped. Indeed, there was a sea of darkness. Witches flew above the army of undeads. Leading this army of evil was a hunter with long hair. The hunter put on his hood. Indeed, he did look like Death. The enemy was large and outnumbered them ten to one. It would take a miracle to win. The army stood there. The Duke ordered for the archers to fire and they did. The arrows shot disappeared into the darkness. Morale was quickly slipping away. Fear was coming. After half an hour, the call was sounded from the enemy. The enemy hunter raised his bow and gave a shout. The wave of darkness rushed forward.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Assembly of Ossyria**

A large group of people gathered on the twenty-first floor of the Orbis Tower. Each pair of people wore different clothes to the next pair. This gathering was known as the Assembly of Ossyria.

A man dressed in white robes raised a hand demanding silence. This meeting was called through the guilds of Ossyria to discuss a crisis.

"I welcome all of you to the Assembly of Ossyria. We are gathered here to discuss the upcoming war on Victoria Island. The forces of darkness, led by the Knight of the Dark Maple himself, are growing stronger. At this rate, the Victorians will fall. Take a look."

The man waved his staff at the scrying crystal in front of him. The gates of Ellinia appeared in Ellinia. The army of Blackarrows was gathered outside of Ellinia. There were gasps and howls. The guild masters were amazed at the size of this army.

The man spoke again, "In addition to this army, the Knight is creating another army. He is recruiting mercenaries from Kerning and dark beings from Sleepywood. Within a month, his armies will attack key points in Victoria. Victoria will fall. The Knights of Victoria and the nomads stand no chance against them. The Knights' Towers, as strong as their barriers are, will crumple before the Knight of the Dark Maple. After the Knight of the Dark Maple is finished there, he will turn his eyes to us. I believe he wants to awaken the God of Flame here on Ossyria. If the Knight of the Dark Maple can defeat Victoria, undoubtedly he can defeat us."

A man dressed in dark robes raised his hand, "Well? The plan is obvious. Let us send reinforcements to the Knights. Without our help they cannot win. With our help, they might stand a chance. Therefore, the Knight will not come up and summon the Damned God."  
"Ah, hold on. Do you know what the Knight is after? I believe he will summon the Scourge of Victoria first on Victoria. I know he will get that far. I have met the Knight himself many years ago during the Great Betrayal. He and I fought and I barely made it out alive. I had scars to prove it," said the white robed man.

A man in red robes got up and spoke, "We, of the Fate clan have decided. We will send Darren and some clerics down to Victoria to see if the crisis is that bad. If it is, then we will help them. If they reject us, then we won't send anyone else."  
A man in blue robes spoke up, "The Eternal Peace clan will do the same. Gabriel and some of our thieves will go down with the Fate clan and help fight."

The white robed man said, "Very well, the verdict is passed. The Fate clan's Darren and the Eternal Peace clan's Gabriel will go down to Victoria to help. Send a mere fifty men from each guild. If they reject us, then we will not risk men that could be fortifying Ossyria. Very well, Fate and Eternal Peace, go ready your men. The rest of you, train your men for battle. The Assembly is adjourned."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten: Love of the Heartless**

While the Assembly of Ossyria passed its decision, while the Knights of Victoria were beginning to defend Ellinia from the army of Blackarrows, and while the Ellimist and the Liege Knight were being hunted down by the dark, hooded dragon riders, the Knight of the Dark Maple made his way to an old, ruined temple. Here, he had fought, while in his human form, the High Priestess, Kaina.

The Knight of the Dark Maple entered the ruined temple. The temple, once before, had been the grandest temple in all of Victoria Island. During the Great Betrayal, in a daring raid against the forces of light, the Knight of the Dark Maple attacked this very temple. Once, the rock had been made of the purest marble. Now, it was all ruins with bits of rubble everywhere. Burn and scorch marks were scattered throughout the walls. Here and there, a splotch of darkness lay on the floor, or maybe a pile of bones. Old rotting staffs and broken swords could also be seen.

Far long ago, this temple had been grand. There was one entrance and that was marked by a gigantic archway that had been enchanted with a Repel Darkness spell. Once entered, the visitor would enter a grand courtyard filled with gardens and many benches. It was like a palace. Around the courtyard were long one-story buildings where the priests and priestesses trained and slept. Behind one of them was a tower. Inside this tower contained many artifacts, many which were powerful. It was this that the Knight of the Dark Maple was after. In this, he fell.

The Knight walked into the courtyard. He looked up to the sky. He had remembered that day many years ago. The sky was now blue, but during the Final Battle, it had been black….

_The Knight of the Dark Maple stood alone in the courtyard. The valiant priests and priestesses had defeated all his forces. However, they were all gone as well. Now, only he remained, and the High Priestess, Kaina. _

_  
__Kaina raised her staff, one of the three weapons she held. The staff was painted gold with a rainbow diamond at the top. Her bow stood about six feet high and that too was painted gold. It was strung with silk, the strongest of all fibers. Her sword was hanging at her side. It was the brightest of all silver. On the tip of the sword was the symbol of 'light'. The hilt was made of silver as well._

_  
__Phil drew his sword, the Ancient Blade of Elements. It was enchanted with the Five Orbs of Power: Fire, Water, Wind, Light and Darkness. He held his sword up in front of him and said, "It didn't have to be this way. Why? Fate drew us together and now it pits us against each other. What miserable luck I have." With that Phil, the Knight of the Dark Maple, charged. __  
__Kaina spoke a spell of light and a beam of light was fired from the top of her staff. The beam struck Phil squarely in the chest and he screamed. He stopped, his sword clutched in his hand. __  
__"Ah...pain. I haven't felt this for a long time. Very well, I will give you my all," murmured Phil. __  
__With that, Phil stood up and jumped with his sword over his head. Drawing power from the Orb of Darkness, he yelled, "Dark Ripper!" and his sword struck the ground. Beams of Darkness zigzagged across the floor heading straight for the High Priestess. Kaina spoke another Repel Darkness spell and was surrounded by an aura of light. Phil smiled as the aura repelled some of the darkness, but not all. Kaina was struck by enough beams, which hurled her back. She lost grip on her staff and it flew from her hand and landed on Phil's feet. Phil kicked it aside and waited for her to stand. Although he had betrayed the Knights, he was still bound by honor. Kaina was still alive and had some fight in her to last. _

_  
__Kaina rose to her feet and this time drew her bow. She nocked two Light Arrows and shot them at Phil. Phil saw the arrows of Light coming at him and he raised his sword. Running to meet he arrows, he swung his sword horizontally while using his sword technique, Light Cutter. The Light Cutter tore the Light Arrows in half and absorbed their power. Phil swung his blade and redirected the Light attack back at Kaina. Kaina jumped and dodged the attack and fired a series of four Light Arrows off her bow. Phil used his speed and dodged all four, while at the same time running toward Kaina. Kaina shot six arrows into the air and all six streaked toward the Knight of the Dark Maple. Unable to dodge the attack, Phil was pierced through the leg by one of the Light Arrows. The Light found Phil's dark nature and used it against him. Phil screamed as the Light pierced his heart. However, Phil still had strength. He got up and lunged at Kaina. Kaina dodged and the battle became melee. Kaina quickly put away her bow and drew her silver sword. Phil swung a series of slashes and Kaina barely found the strength to block each shot. Kaina knew her swordsmanship was nothing compared to Phil's. Phil would win. Phil lunged again at Kaina. Kaina brought her hands over hand and pointed the sword down. It was enough to deflect the sword. Kaina swung around and her blade clipped Phil's left arm. Blood flowed from the cut. Phil, however, appeared unaffected. Shifting his weight on his left foot, he swung horizontally from his left side to the right side. Kaina jumped back to avoid the shot. She succeeded, but she had felt the wind from the blade hit her. Phil slashed at her twice more. She blocked the first one, but the second one cut her robe. The third would not miss. Phil brought his sword down in a vertical slash. Kaina blocked it, but Phil's sword turned and slashed her across her waist. She felt the weight on her legs more. Phil began the final sword technique. A pair of ghostly dragon wings appeared behind him and Phil began to chant the legendary words to the Sword Dance, Fury of Nine Dragons. As he spoke the last words, Kaina closed her eyes. _

_  
__Phil swung his sword at Kaina. He noticed that her eyes were closed. However, it couldn't stop him. Battle fury had consumed him. He slashed at her once. She blocked it. Phil then slashed her with blinding speed the other eight times. Too slow to block the legendary Fury of Nine Dragons, Kaina took the eight other hits. Her white robes were stained with newly flowing blood. She collapsed on her back. _

_  
__Phil got down on one knee. His sword was pointed at Kaina's heart. He said, "Forgive me." He paused. _

_  
__Kaina saw the pause and a thought quickly past her head. She gripped her sword and with a flash of silver, the blade sheathed itself into Phil's heart. Phil's blood dripped on Kaina's robes. Phil dropped his blade and clutched his heart. Kaina dropped her's and ran over to catch Phil. __  
__"Forgive me Phil! Forgive me!" Kaina screamed. __  
__"You….killed….me. Ah, this feeling…..it's so good….. Death will come to me soon…," Phil whispered. __  
__"I forgive you Kaina. I forgive you. Don't feel guilty. Someone had to kill me…. This….was….the….only…..way….," Phil murmured. __  
__Kaina said, "No…You could've become good. You could've been one of us. You could've been a legend." __  
__"I…am…already….a…legend….Kaina…I…have….always….loved…," Phil whispered. The wind carried his last words, "you". With that, Phil, the Knight of the Dark Maple and the Sword Dancer of the Plains died. _

_  
__Kaina released Phil's dead body. Although he was the Knight of the Dark Maple, he perhaps was good. He looked at Phil's dead face. It wasn't sad or mad or miserable. Instead, he looked happy, happy he had failed. _

_  
__For the first time in many years, Kaina cried, not because she was sad, not because her temple was destroyed, not because her comrades were dead, not because she was supposed to die, but because she was loved._

The Knight of the Dark Maple looked at the ground. This temple held so many memories for him. The tower that had once carried the artifacts he wanted was of no more. He turned and this was a slab of rock in the grass. It was a dedication to Kaina. It was not her grave, for that was in the Chaos Realm. The stone talked about the High Priestess' deeds. The Knight of the Dark Maple read the stone and smiled. It was so much like Kaina. Now, it was time to do what he came for. The Knight entered one of the ruined buildings and began to search.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Together, We Die 

The Ellimist and the Liege Knight of the Maple rode as fast as they could away from the Golem's Temple. They were headed to Sleepywood to seek shelter under the trees in the Sleepywood Swamp. Sleepywood was also home to one of the Knights' garrisons and to the Tower of Twilight. Eight dark dragon riders were pursuing the two warriors. It was obvious that the two would soon be overrun.

The Ellimist chanted the spell to the Soul Arrow technique, which allowed him to shoot Soul Arrows. He also caught the wind with his bow and this granted him the ability to shoot more arrows faster and deadlier.

The Ellimist summoned a Soul Arrow. He pulled out a bomb from his pouch and tied it to the Soul Arrow. He turned in his stirrup and aimed at a Rider. He released the bowstring and his Bomb Arrow whistled through the air with deadly precision. The Rider, however, was skilled as well. The Rider that the Ellimist had aimed at turned out to be an archer as well. The Rider drew his bow, a dark, cruel bow. It was curved in a wicked way. The Rider drew a black arrow. The Rider nocked it and fired. The arrow gave a red light as it hummed through the air. The two arrows hit each other and there was an explosion of white and black gas. The Eight Riders flew through it without a daze. Then one of the black dragons opened its mouth. A dark fireball formed and the dragon shot it in front of the Ellimist and the Liege Knight. The fireball exploded in front of their horses, creating a firewall. The two warriors wheeled around and tried to ride past it. It was impossible. The Liege Knight of the Maple drew his spear. His spear was red and the tip was silver. It was about eight feet long and well balanced. The Liege Knight chanted a spear technique and then the spear turned into had a ghostly image of a dragon surrounding it. The Liege Knight gave a yell and thrust the spear at the firewall. Ghostly images of dragons appeared as the spear pierced the wall and opened a way for the two warriors. The Liege Knight mentioned for the Ellimist to follow.

"We can't make it!" the Ellimist yelled, "We're going to die!"   
"No! Ellimist, you must ride to Sleepywood! Bring them the prophecy!" yelled the Liege Knight.  
"Since when do bodyguards leave their lord? I will stay here and fight with you!" screamed the Ellimist.  
"Very well," replied the Liege Knight.

The two Maple Knights wheeled around on their horses and gave their horses a kick. The horses rode toward the Riders. The Riders saw their advance and accepted their challenge. Two of the Riders drew bows. The next two drew cone-shaped lances. They were black and about nine feet long. Their handle was a cylinder and was colored black as well. Two more Riders held axes in their left hands. The axes were huge, but the Riders held them with ease. The blades were black with eerie icicle shaped things hanging from the blade. In their right hand, these two held blades that were about four feet long. The blades were silver. The handle was black and the blade glowed with an eerie black fire. The final two Riders clutched swords in their hands. Unlike the axe wielders, these Riders' swords were about five feet long. They too, were silver, and were adorned with beautiful runes. The runes glowed blue. The hilt was black with a diamond in the middle of it.

The Ellimist nocked four arrows and fired all four at one of the bow Riders. All four found their target. However, the Rider did not appear dazed, but responded by drawing another black arrow and shooting it at the Ellimist. The Ellimist ordered his horse to make an abrupt turn to the right. The arrow hissed through the air and missed by a narrow margin. The arrow hit the ground and the Ellimist heard a burning sound. He turned around and saw that the arrow was a rot arrow. Anything it would hit would rot. The axe wielders had their turn next. Each brought their axes to their shoulders in a circular motion. Then, with a quick motion, they hurled the axes toward the two Knights. At the same time, the sword Riders raised their swords in the air and began to chant. Their swords emitted a strange purple light.

"Look at the floor! There's a purple circle!" yelled the Ellimist.   
"Yes! It has the force of magic! Run!" yelled the Liege Knight.  
The two retreated from the circle of magic at the last second. However, they fell right into the Riders' hands. The two axes that were thrown found their targets. The first one slammed into the Ellimist's left shoulder. Fresh blood flowed from the wound. The Liege Knight wasn't so lucky. The axe impaled his chest and the maple leaf that had adorned his armor was sliced in half. The two warriors were thrown off their horses as the axes had hit them. The two axes continued flying up to the Riders and returned to their wielder's left hand. The Riders were approaching and were near to landing in front of them.

"Blast! They are two powerful. The auras they emit are so powerful! More power than I have seen in years!" cursed the Liege Knight.   
"They're approaching first. Ready to die?" asked the Ellimist.  
"Yes, together we die!" replied the Liege Knight.  
The two Knights ran up to meet the Riders in combat and together, they would die.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: A Dying Wish 

The Eight Riders stared in amusement at the two doomed warriors rushing straight at them. One, the one who seemed older, carried a spear. The other carried a bow. The Eight Riders landed onto the plain, dismounted and sent their dragons up into the sky to make sure no one interfered. Then, meeting the two Knights of the Maple's challenges, they attacked. The two bow Riders both drew bomb arrows and shot them at the two Knights. The Knights dodged to the left, but the blast still hit them. The hunter was hit in his already damaged left arm again while the spearman didn't seem dazed. The two spear Riders raised both of their lances and prepared for their attack.

The Liege Knight of the Maple ran toward the Riders. He began to build up mana within him for a large blast. If it succeeded, they would gain the upper hand. If it failed, then the maneuver may cost them the fight. The Liege Knight of the Maple took a deep breath, and then began to chant the ancient language of dragons. In a couple of seconds, he gave a gigantic dragon roar. The floor shook as the roar sent the Riders hurling back. The Ellimist took his cue. He drew two bomb arrows and shot both of them. They exploded right on the Riders. However, the hooded warriors got up and charged again. The Ellimist looked at the Liege Knight. The Liege Knight was down on one knee. It seemed like that spell took up all of his energy. The Ellimist began drew four arrows. He shot all of them. Like before, the arrows bounced off the Riders.

The Liege Knight got back up on his feet. He charged at the Riders. The spear Riders lifted their lances and thrust at him. The Liege Knight dodged, but a ghostly image of the Riders' spears emerged for the Riders' lances and shot across the plain. The Liege Knight thought, "A magicked spear. Long and short distance attacks. Ingenious."

The Liege Knight chanted another dragon spell and thrust his spear at both Riders. The spear turned into a dragon-like form and struck three times at the two Riders. The Riders were damaged, but, like before, got back up. The Liege Knight kept his spear pointed at them, but he began to step back as four Riders advanced on him.

The Ellimist kept the other four Riders busy. The two axe Riders had thrown their axes at him and missed. The other two bow Riders and shot wave after wave of rot arrows at the Ellimist. The Ellimist had read the path of each arrow and had dodged each one. However, one had gotten him on his badly wounded left arm. It seemed to him, that his left arm would never know healing again. The Ellimist drew back his bowstring. His left arm pained so much. The power he put in each arrow was weakening. He fired more arrows, but to no avail. The Riders seemed invincible. The two bow Riders drew two more rot arrows. They fired and then looked. The Ellimist had dodged them again.

However, the Riders had hit their mark.

The Liege Knight felt two stinging pains in his back. He looked on his back and saw two arrows lodged into his back. The skin around it was rotting away. He cursed and continued to fight. However, he was now crippled. It took more and more of his energy to fight back. Then, his legs gave out. He collapsed. The two sword Riders chanted a spell. A purple circle surrounded the Liege Knight. Then he screamed as his soul began to leave him. The Ellimist yelled, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Then there was a white light.

The sword Riders were feasting on the veteran's soul. His soul had strengthened them. Then the blasted light appeared and then a ray of light had struck them. The spell had been broken. The Eight Riders looked at where the light had appeared. Standing there, were two groups. The first group was all donned in white robes. They were all clerics. The second group was donned in blue and was all thieves. There were fifty in each group. The leader of the two was a priest and an assassin. The priest pointed his staff at the Riders and the newcomers charged.

The Ellimist ran over to the Liege Knight's side, "No! Don't die! Not now! My lord, don't die!"  
"My time is up. My legs have gone cold and my vision is blurring," replied the Liege Knight.  
"No! Please, don't die, please!" the Ellimist said.  
"You must promise me something. Go to Sleepywood and tell them of the prophecy. Also, I proclaim you my heir. Once I die, you are the new Liege Knight of the Maple. You know everything I thought you. Take my lance and give it to your apprentice. One more thing, don't….ever….fall….to….evil…." the Liege Knight said. With that, the Liege Knight died. He died, with a look of peace on his face. But, in his mind, he had seen the prophecy. The final picture of it showed a person that looked like the Ellimist. He was a hunter and he was leading the armies of darkness. The Liege Knight's final thought was a thought of despair.


End file.
